Broken Circle (2017) by J.L. Powers and M.A. Powers
Summary (from Goodreads)
Adam wants nothing more than to be a "normal" teen, but his reality is quickly leaking normal. Afraid to sleep because of the monster that stalks his dreams, Adam's breakdown at school in front of his crush Sarah lands him in the hospital.
As he struggles to cope with his day-to-day life, Adam can only vaguely comprehend some sort of future. His mother died when he was only four and his eccentric father--who might be an assassin, a voodoo god, the reincarnation of the Buddha, or something even stranger--is never available when Adam really needs him. Even his paranoid grandfather, who insists that people are "out to kill the entire family," is no help.
Adam's life takes an even weirder turn when a fat man with a gold tooth and a medallion confronts his father regarding Adam's supposed "True Destiny." Adam is soon headed toward a collision with life, death, and the entities charged with shepherding souls of the newly dead, all competing to control lucrative territories where some nightmares are real and psychopomps of ancient legends walk the streets of North America.
Thoughts
Broken Circle was one of the most interesting and unique books that I have read all year. I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of the character and the world that the debuts authors constructed. The characters feel real and relatable. Their struggles are somehow simultaneous fantastic and believable; the perfect parallel to the world they exist in. Once again, I find myself being partial to another book set on the streets of NYC, more specifically Brooklyn. Time and time again the city forms the perfect backdrop for contemporary fantasy.
My one critique: I felt like there was no resolution at the end of the book. The sorry progresses very slowly and there are almost too many questions left unanswered by the time you get to the last page. It is obviously set up to continue as a series. And that’s fine. In fact, I would be likely to continue reading this series if the second book makes it to publication. The pace and unanswered questions make this book feel like a 200+ page introduction to a story that has barely begun.
Overall, my impression of this book is positive. I enjoyed the characters and I think that the story is going somewhere new and exciting. I just wish more of that story had been covered in the first book.
Recommended